Organizations

The Kentucky-based Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises will help low-income home buyers access $25 million in federal funding set aside for four central Appalachian states—Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee—as part of an arrangement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Borrowers approved for loans through the program could get an interest rate as low as 1 percent, along with payment assistance and 100 percent financing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the country’s first network of housing counseling organizations dedicated to serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) facing foreclosures or who need general housing counseling. The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD) is now an intermediary for HUD and will support a national network of nonprofit community based organizations in 10 states providing services in more than 10 AAPI languages.

NCB Financial Group, a financial institution dedicated to serving cooperatives nationwide and consisting of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, its subsidiary thrift, NCB, and their affiliated CDFI, NCB Capital Impact, deployed $391 million in 2009 to support underserved communities and cooperative expansion initiatives. The capital was provided through direct lending, investments, and the facilitation of creative transactions that directly support low- to moderate-income communities.

People

The National Housing Conference has named Maureen Friar its president and CEO, succeeding Conrad Egan following his retirement after 12 years with the organization. Friar most recently served as a marketing consultant to the National Equity Fund, the largest nonprofit investor in federal low-income housing tax credits, and as a fund-raising consultant to Community Access, a New York nonprofit. Prior to that, Friar served as executive director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York for 14 years.

The Structured Employment and Economic Development Corporation (Seedco) has named Barbara Dwyer Gunn as its new president and CEO. Gunn joined the New York City-based national nonprofit on April 1, succeeding Diane Baillargeon, who announced last year that she would step down after 12 years at the nonprofit.

Melissa Johnson has been named the new executive director of the Neighborhood Funders Group. She succeeds Bettye Brentley, who served with NFG for eight years.

The Fund for New Jersey has named Richard Greenberg as its new president. Greenberg was previously director of equal justice policy and programs at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations has announced the appointment of Sam Yoon as executive director. Yoon replaces founding executive director Jane DeMarines. Previous to his appointment, Yoon served on the Boston City Council for four years. Yoon also brings a decade of experience in housing, finance, and community organizing.

National Housing Institute board member and a Shelterforce founder Phyllis Salowe-Kaye has been named to a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council. Kaye is the 25-year executive director for New Jersey Citizen Action, a consumer watchdog organization.

Sharon King, former president of the F.B. Heron Foundation, has taken on a new role at Atlantic Philanthropies as director of the Aging Program. In other F.B. Heron news, Mary Jo Mullan, the foundation’s vice president for programs for the past 10 years, as well as the foundation’s acting president since the start of 2010, left Heron on May 31, after nearly 17 years with the foundation.

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition has appointed Rachel Maleh as its chief of staff and membership matters, a newly created position at NCRC. Maleh is responsible for implementing the organization’s focus on membership expansion and engagement.

Jasmine Thomas has joined the Surdna Foundation as a program officer. She was formerly a program officer at the New York Community Trust. Lisa Davis, previously vice president and project executive at the New Boston Fund, and Amy Brown, previously a senior consultant to the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program, are now program officers at the Ford Foundation.